Bicyclist killed at Oak & Wells Friday AM

Any updates:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bicyclist-str...

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Permalink Reply by T. Mo on October 5, 2012 at 5:56am

This is just so horribly sad. My heart goes out to the cyclist and his family, and the truck driver that found himself in an awful situation this morning as well. It's just tragic. I hope this reminds more people how important it is to check their doors before opening.

Permalink Reply by ID on October 5, 2012 at 6:00am

This is really sad. No less sad than any other death (cyclist or otherwise) of course. But, I think what bothers me the most about this is that I can clearly see in my minds eye what this poor guy probably saw before this happened.

All of us who ride Wells from North to Kinzie during both rush hours know what a gauntlet that stretch has become. The stretch from Oak to Division puts me on edge every time I ride as there is such a deadly mix of cross traffic, pedestrians and occupied operators going on there.

Mortality checks are always rough, but they are particularly jarring when it could have been any one of us this morning.

Permalink Reply by Dirke on October 5, 2012 at 6:25am

Anyone up for an organized wake/memorial/awareness gathering at the spot sometime soon, like tonight?

The only way any awareness is going to come about from this incident is to gather numbers, call the media, and plead to the cameras for police to enforce the "opening door into the bikelane" law which is already on the books.  The reality is that Walter Payton students are generally well off and driven to school individually in cars by professional parents on their way to work (or the yoga studio) who by and large completely ignore the newly-installed "Stop for pedestrians in crosswalk" signs and the fact that a bike lane intersects the drop-off roundabout.

I don't take that route often but when I do, you can guarantee being cut-off, right-hooked, and doored within 2 blocks of Walter Payton high school, every time.  And of course, if ever you act out on the adrenaline spike of nearly meeting the same fate after a double-parked Mercedes SUV throws it's door open and the inevitable NorthFaced middle-aged mom on a cellphone gets out, you'll receive the traditional Chicago driver to bicyclist welcome:  "Fuck You!", albeit a little quieter since the kids are getting out.

As the number of bicyclists who are killed as the result of an open car door grows, I don't understand why the media haven't done a 1 minute piece on it, if only to promote a little awareness.  Show a 10 second reenactment from a helmet cam of the cyclist's view of a car door opening into the bike lane and one's limited options at that point.  The problem is obviously not isolated to this area but I would think a recent death at a school and a resultant wake/memorial there would at the very least, signal to the school administrator to distribute a flier to parents picking up/dropping off their children that the way in which they facilitate that seemingly benign daily activity has life/death consequences when they selfishly ignore all common sense and established law.  Since this happened in a actual marked bike lane, close to downtown, I would think that Gabe and Rahm have some responsibility to make official comment, and I would hope that they minimally remind the public that it is law, let alone basic common sense, to look before opening a car door into a traffic, especially a bike lane, especially in a school zone, especially since we know Rahm is all about the children.  Would this actually happen if the bicyclist then took a couple of kids out too or would the situation then instantly devolve into condemning we "renegade" cyclists? 

I'm obviously biased but seriously, if anyone wants to gather in memorial, in the aim of preventing more of these deaths, please count me in.

Permalink Reply by Kevin on October 5, 2012 at 6:27am

This is so incredibly sad - condolences to the cyclist and his friends and family.  Everyone please be careful out there!  I'm generally a cautious rider, but I still feel shaken reading this story and thinking about all of the times I have had to swerve to avoid a car door on my daily commute.

 

 

Permalink Reply by spencewine on October 5, 2012 at 6:36am

Another completely preventable tragedy. I'm in for a ride/gathering of silence tonight.

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on October 5, 2012 at 6:38am

Somewhere, a long time ago, when I had drivers' ed and stuff, I'm pretty sure that I read that it was illegal to exit a vehicle on the traffic side.

Is this still true that you are not supposed to open a car door on the traffic side?

--

Please don't start in about how difficult it is to not exit on the traffic side. I'm merely asking.

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on October 5, 2012 at 6:40am

Do you mind if I post this elsewhere?

John W. said:

First Friday Ride is meeting at BadHappy one block West of Wells on Oak at 8pm.  We'll roll by around 9.

Permalink Reply by pat 5.5mi on October 5, 2012 at 6:44am

I doubt this is true.  Otherwise the driver would have no way of exiting a parked car.


Michael J Blane said:

Is this still true that you are not supposed to open a car door on the traffic side?

Permalink Reply by Michael J Blane on October 5, 2012 at 6:46am

Most cars have doors on both sides.

uic said:

I doubt this is true.  Otherwise the driver would have no way of exiting a parked car.


Michael J Blane said:

Is this still true that you are not supposed to open a car door on the traffic side?

Permalink Reply by Bill Savage on October 5, 2012 at 6:46am

Kids should not be getting out of cars on the traffic side of a vehicle.  They should only get out on the sidewalk side.

Cameron Puetz said:

It's likely that a kid opened the door. The way parents droping kids off park around there has turned ridding that stretch of Wells in the morning into running a gauntlet.


Jason said:



Amber K said:

It was just on the 11 o'clock news. The street is still closed, and the body is still under the wheels of the truck.  No tickets have been issued as of now.  Awful!

That is ridiculous! The driver who opened that door should be ticketed and arrested!

Permalink Reply by Dirke on October 5, 2012 at 6:46am

I'm not the organizing type, but don't really think a ride is appropriate, since multiple cyclists just seem to further enrage the anti-cycling public. 

But if this is what it comes to, how about ending the ride earlier, or stopping by the death site earlier and do some quiet sitting in?  White candles lighted seems to me to be the most appropriate for a memorial.

And if someone has experience with calling the television news crews, all the better.

Permalink Reply by David Barish on October 5, 2012 at 6:52am

So sad.  I ride by that same location all the time. We can all say "there but for the grace of God go I." How many of us have made that split second decision to encounter the lesser of two evils- the open door and whatever lurks to our left further in the lane. We figure we can evade something we did not see on the left rather than barrel into the door for a more minor injury that can screw up our bike and result in a pissing contest with the door's owner. Even when you have a mirror or have scanned the lane you can make an error or not see somebody who was in a blind spot.  You did your best, the driver is relatively innocent and the door opener never had an idea of the consequences of the cascading train of events that could follow. Within the last week I peeked to my left when seeing a driver fidgeting in his car that was parked.  A cab buzzed by on the left out of the corner of my eye and I risked passing close to the parked car.  It could have been different...like this. Perhaps the parked driver actually looked in the mirror and did not see the cyclists coming.  Its a tough one.  All we can do is think of this poor fellow and those who know and love him and after that resolve to keep our awareness and our wits when we are on the road. 

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